Biden Says He'll Debate Trump

Good morning and happy Monday. A 101-year-old woman has a very unique problem when she flies: American Airlines' computer system cannot compute that she was born in 1922. Every time she flies, the system defaults her birth year to 2022 and thinks she is a baby traveler. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• Protests: Continue nationwide

• King Charles: Back to work

• Maine: Electoral College posturing

• TikTok: ByteDance won’t sell

• NFL: Regular season expansion

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Fire up the mics

President Joe Biden is willing to debate former President Donald Trump before November's election.

• What happened: Biden said, "I'm happy to debate him," during a rare one-on-one interview with radio host Howard Stern on Friday. It was the first time Biden has committed to debating Trump; he previously said a debate would depend on Trump's behavior. Trump refused to repeat in Republican primary debates but has said he wants to debate Biden at any time.

• Current schedule: The non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates has set dates for three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate beginning in mid-September. Trump has challenged Biden to hold more events and to move the debates up. A dozen major news organizations recently published an open letter asking the candidates to commit to debate participation.

• Big picture: There has been at least one televised debate during every presidential election since 1976. It seems unlikely Biden and Trump will debate before the first scheduled one, set for Sept. 16 in San Marcos, Texas. Also up in the air: Whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can become the first third-party candidate to qualify for the debates since the late H. Ross Perot in 1992.

2) Nyet trace

Russian President Vladimir Putin likely did not order the murder of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

• The news: U.S. officials still believe Putin is responsible for Navalny's death in confinement. But there is reportedly no intelligence suggesting Putin directly called for Navalny's death or was aware of the timing of his death.

• Catch up: Navalny died Feb. 16 in a remote Arctic penal colony. The Kremlin denied any role in his death or his near-fatal poisoning in 2020. Navalny died while serving a lengthy prison sentence on charges condemned by the international community as political. He was Putin's only major domestic rival; his death came weeks before Putin was re-elected.

• Big picture: It was not clear if the U.S. reached conclusions on how Navalny died. The Russians have claimed he suffered from "sudden death syndrome," which can be a catch-all for cardiac events. Navalny's allies rejected the intelligence conclusion, arguing Navalny was killed and that could not have happened without Putin's blessing.

3) Back in the field

An aid group will resume operations in Gaza several weeks after several staffers were killed in an Israeli airstrike. 

• Catch up: Seven workers for World Central Kitchen -- helmed by celebrity chef Jose Andres -- died April 1. The incident led to worldwide condemnation. Israel apologized for the airstrike and said it was unintentional, firing two senior officers. A dual U.S.-Canadian citizen was among the workers killed. WCK ceased operations after the airstrike.

• The plan: WCK said it has 8M meals on almost 300 trucks ready to enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. It also plans to send in trucks through Jordan, deliver meals by sea and open a third kitchen in the enclave. It also renewed calls for an independent, international investigation into the airstrike.

• Other news: Israel signaled it is willing to discuss a lasting ceasefire with Hamas if it releases hostages, a first since the terrorist group launched its Oct. 7 attack. Israel has also pledged it will not begin an offensive in Rafah until the Biden Administration has fully voiced its concerns.

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Quick Tips

U.S. News

• Hundreds of people were arrested over the weekend as pro-Palestinian protests continued to roil campuses nationwide. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested at Washington University in St. Louis (More)

• Massachusetts State Police said they busted a $4M jewelry burglary ring. The alleged thieves broke into almost 50 homes in 25 different communities over nearly six years (More)

• Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz said House Democrats will protect Speaker of the House Mike Johnson's job. Johnson still faces a motion to vacate threat led by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (More)

World News

• King Charles will resume royal duties this week. The monarch has made only one unofficial public appearance since announcing he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February (More)

• An ammunition explosion killed 20 soldiers at a military base in Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Manet said he was "deeply shocked" by the blast, which also injured soldiers and destroyed buildings (More)

• A shark attack has led Trinidad and Tobago to close seven beaches and a marine park. A British tourist is in intensive care following the attack along the Caribbean nation's coast (More)

Campaign News

• Maine Democrats said they would move to change the state's Electoral College rules if Nebraska Republicans alters that state's rules. Both states award EVs by district, which traditionally has allowed the presidential candidate that loses each state's popular vote to salvage an EV (More)

• Florida Rep. Bill Posey announced he will retire at the end of the year. He planned to seek re-election in his solidly GOP district, but said "circumstances beyond my control" forced him to abandon the bid (More)

• The White House has abandoned a plan to ban menthol cigarettes after several delays. The proposal was highly scrutinized for its potential election-year implications, as the cigarettes are more popular in minority communities. (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed higher on Friday. March's PCE inflation numbers were higher than expected (Dow +0.40%, Nasdaq +2.03%, S&P 500 +1.02%),

• TikTok's Chinese parent company has no plans to sell the social media platform. ByteDance said it will fight the federal law that will ban the app without divestiture on constitutional grounds (More)

• The state of Pennsylvania seized Republic First Bancorp after it abandoned investment talks. The FDIC said the Philadelphia-based regional bank will be sold to Fulton Bank (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suggested the NFL could expand its regular season to 18 games. He also discussed pushing the Super Bowl further into February so it falls on President's Day weekend (More)

• Britney Spears and her father settled a legal dispute over her conservatorship. The pop star must pay $2M in legal fees for Jamie Spears to end the matter (More)

• Aaron Sorkin is writing a film about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The West Wing screenwriter said he blames Facebook, but declined to say if the film would be a sequel to The Social Network, which he also wrote (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: A Michigan nurse helped deliver a premature baby who spent over a month in the hospital after birth. They were reunited 22 years later when the baby graduated from nursing school.

• Sweet Treat: Cookie Monster loves all cookies (naturally), but we feel safe predicting he would really enjoy this delicious recipe he inspired. It's even blue!

• Go Deep: Young people are adopting lifestyles typically prescribed to older generations. Among them are needlepointing, early dinner reservations and coupon clipping.

• Take Note: There is a difference between being frugal and being cheap. Allow an etiquette expert to explain the fine line and how to be on the right side of it.

• Big Bucks: Many would argue a good night's sleep is priceless. If so, a Swedish company just rolled out a $1M bed. Yes, a one and then six zeroes.

• OPTIMIZE ME: Researchers “found convincing evidence that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48% to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes”

Want more health and wellness news? Subscribe to our brand new newsletter, Optimize Me, and start living a healthier life through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness:

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Looking Ahead …

There is still some time go before Survivor's 50th season. But there is already a plan: Host Jeff Probst said the milestone edition of the reality show will feature all returning players.

Question of the Day

Last week’s results:

Trivia: When did the NFL first hold a draft?

The first NFL draft was held in 1936.